Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Global Child Porn Member Sentenced To Life

Warren Mumpower of Spokane, Wash., was sentenced to life in prison today for his activity in a global child pornography trafficking enterprise.

Mumpower, 65, was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine by Senior U.S. District Judge Lacey A. Collier.

Mumpower, a convicted sex offender, was found guilty of six counts including engaging in a child exploitation enterprise; conspiracy to advertise, transport, ship, receive and possess child pornography; advertising, transporting and receiving child pornography and obstruction of justice.

Mumpower was charged with being a member of a highly sophisticated international network whose purpose it was to proliferate child sex abuse images to its membership during a two-year period. The network used Internet newsgroups to traffic in illegal images and videos depicting prepubescent children, including toddlers, engaged in various sexual and sadistic acts.

The network was busted when an Australian constable infiltrated the group. He testified about how group members used a complex system of pseudonyms, screening tests for new members and sophisticated encryption methods to avoid detection. He also testified that the group traded more than 400,000 images and 1,000 videos of child sexual abuse before it was dismantled by law enforcement.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Other members of the network were previously convicted and likewise sentenced to life in prison.